Jill Russo Foster

Travel Made Easier

You know we love to travel. Personally, the $85 I spent to get TSA Precheck was well worth it. It is so much easier to not have to take out your toiletries, electronics and/or take your shoes off. Note, that not all international airports recognize this status. Although, recently in London’s Heathrow airport and they did stamp my boarding pass on connecting flights and I was pleasantly surprised.

We actually had to wait weeks to get an appointment with the local (30 minutes away) office of IdentoGo. Then you wait more time to get your TSA Precheck number. Yes, it’s well worth it to not have to take off your shoes.

But by later this year, it will be easier. IDEMIA, the company will be offering the interview process through select Staples locations to start – 50 locations to start. How convenient will that be? When my renewal is due, this should be so easy.

There’s More To Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning used to be a chore to me. I would take a weekend and tackle everything, then be totally exhausted. Now, I have changed and put myself first. I do things over the course of the year, so I am not exhausted and it’s not so much of a chore. I tackle project by project and it feels better to me and not as overwhelming.

My latest project was sparked by an article I read in AARP’s magazine. It occurred to me that I haven’t done this in a while. One more spring cleaning project done. I thought I would share this with you as well. AARP’s Spring clean Your Smartphone.

Money, Life and Savings

A reader asked me about how to save to purchase a home, when your money doesn’t allow much for savings.

That’s a great question. But not an easy one to answer.

We all know that saving should be a priority. But we have monthly obligations. So here are so general steps to achieve what you want (in this case a home).

Track your spending – many people overlook this step. Trust me this is the most important step in achieving your goal. Write down every penny that you spend for at least a month. Track everything from the rent payment to purchase of the newspaper.
Weekly (or more often) take your tracked numbers and put it in to a budget.
Analyze where your money is going and make a plan to spend less. Even saving $5 a week will add up.
Automate your savings goals and pay yourself first. You will learn to live off less if you don’t see it available in your checking account. You may want to unlink your checking and savings (or have them with separate banks).
Lastly, look into home ownership programs in your community.
Check out to see if you qualify for an Individual Development Account to save for a down payment.

While it’s hard to save money each and every month. It a necessary step in life to achieving your goals.

Thank you

Thank you to all of those who took the time to reply to my question.

In the coming weeks, I will do my best to respond to your thoughts / suggestions.

Need Your Thoughts!

You, as loyal readers of my newsletter, I need your thoughts.

For years, i have been writing my newsletter and informing you about personal finances issues. I wants to know what you want to hear about. What topics are of interest to you? What do you want to learn more about?

Here are some suggestions (but please feel free to add your thoughts)

Personal Finance General
Getting Out Of Debt
Savings For Your Future
Money and Kids
Retirement
Money For The Fun Things In Life
Organizing Your Finances
Your Choice __________________________________

Let me know by responding to this post on social media, blog post or an email to jill@jillrussofoster.com. Thank you in advance for taking the time to respond.

The Tulips of Kuekenoff

Thank you all for your posts / comments over the past few weeks. We are back from a fantastic vacation to Amsterdam (as you can see the flowers / tulips from Kuekenoff) and then a British Isles cruise. Starting next week, we will be live posting and responding.

Gotta Vacation Coming Up?

If you have travel plans for Memorial day weekend or the summer, you should check your pricing again (just before you leave). We always recheck the pricing on hotels, cruises, rental cars and more.

A while back, we found our hotel room was $60 less per night. Made a new reservation and cancelled the original. For our most recent trip, we were able to get upgraded to an executive room for the same price. The executive room includes breakfast and light dinner. This saved money as we will be paying less for food.

A few years back for an upcoming cruise, it seemed as if the price went down every Monday. We we are able to save about $500 – this is money that was deducted from what we would have owed at the time the final payment was due. After the final payment is made, any savings is given back to you as an onboard credit – which we had another $200).

Money is my pocket is always good. Make sure to check your reservations to save more money.

Want Your Teens To Learn About Money

If you want your teens to learn about money, register them for my 5 day class at Norwalk Community College, Norwalk, CT

Teens and Money: Teen Personal Finance – 5 Day Class for Teens

This course is intended to help students develop an understanding of financial literacy and will inform students how individual choices directly influence occupational goals and future earnings potential. It is designed to prepare students to manage money and make informed financial decisions in their own lives. A focus of the course will be the effective use of mathematics as a tool in developing financial literacy skills. Real world topics covered will include income, money management, spending and credit, as well as saving and investing. Students will design personal and household budgets utilizing checking and saving accounts, gain knowledge in finance, debt and credit management, and evaluate and understand insurance and taxes. This course will provide a foundation for making informed decisions about money and gaining financial independence.

Monday to Friday 7/16/18 to 7/21/18 1:00PM – 4:00PM

To register: Telephone: (203) 857-7080 Email: extendedstudies@norwalk.edu

Money Habits To Avoid (Part 3)

This is part 3 of Money Habits To Avoid. If you missed part 1 or 2, please search my blog post.

6. Keeping up with the Jones’ — There is always going to be someone with a nicer home, car, clothing, etc. That’s just life. Your budget cannot survive trying to keep up with others. This habit will send your budget off a cliff. You going to need to get comfortable with where you are and what you have.

Ignoring Your Finances — I met some people who don’t open their mail, don’t answer the phone, and are totally oblivious to their finances. Ignoring your finances won’t make them go away, they will be there untilyou deal with them. In fact, you will owe more with added interest and additional charges. If this is you, take baby steps to get acquainted with your finances.

If you see yourself in any of these habits, the first step is awareness. Once you are aware, you can make the changes necessary to break the habit.

Money Habits To Avoid (Part 2)

This is part 2 of Money Habits To Avoid. If you missed part 1, please search my blog post.

3. Using Credit Cards to Get By — You know what I mean, you use your credit card because you don’t have the cash to purchase … This is a red flag if this is an every day, week, or month occurrence. Credit cards definitely havea place in your finances, but they are not the means to spending more than you can afford on a regular basis.

4. Discretionary Spending to Impress — This may have happened to you, I know it did for me when I was coming out of college. You are out with friends and you offer to pick up the tab. Maybe you want them to think you are doing better than you actually are, maybe you want to seem on par with your friends, whatever the case, no one expects you to pay more than your fair share. If you can’t afford to do something at this point, maybe you politely decline.

5. Emotional Spending — Just like emotional eating, emotional spending can be a problem. You are upset, and you go out and buy a …… Yes, you feel great in the moment, but did you need a … ….? Was it money you were planning on spending? Probably not. You know what you need to purchase, make a plan and stick to it.

Check out the next posts to find out the rest of the Money Habits To Avoid.